Oil-lamp.



PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904. Y

' L. JOHNSON.

OIL LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.11, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 23, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GIL-LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,128, dated. August23, 1904.

Application filed November 11, 1908. Serial No. 180,659. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LU'rE JOHNSON, of Old Orchard, in the county of Yorkand State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOil-Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to oil-lamps, and particularly to those burningoil of the grade of kerosene, the use of which as a fuel forsignal-lamps in railway-switches, semaphores, &c., is practicallyuniversal, these lamps being distinguished from what are ordinarilycalled in railway practice lanterns which burn paraflin-oil.

The objects of the invention are to provide improved combustion, adecreased consumption of oil, and less liability to extinguishment ofthe flame from drafts and jars.

With the ordinary wick occupying the Whole of the wick-tube thevaporization of the oil takes place practically only at the end of thewick and is very rapidly succeeded by combustion, and in the ordinarykerosenelamp unless the supply of air is abundant and properly directedagainst the flame combustion is imperfect and smoking occurs. In suchlamps it is usual to employ the element called the cone embracing andrising above the end of the wick-tube and constituting practically achimney between which and the wick-tube a supply of air passes. Thecone, however, cuts off part of the light of the flame, which mightotherwise radiate laterally. Such lamps, moreover, are rather easilyextinguished by the drafts and jars experienced in railroad work and areoften melted down on very windy nights.

A feature of my present invention is the provision of a vaporizing-spaceback of the orifice of the burner-tube in which an initial vaporizationof the oil takes place, and as the vapor there formed is created in aprotected locality the flame is less easily blown or jarred out.

A further feature is the formation of the Wick and wick-tube withtapered ends, the

, end of the wick only partially filling the orifice of the wick-tube,so that a vaporizingspace is formed, and, although the main body of theWick, which is of full width, is available for capillary action, thusgiving an abundant supply and free flow of oil nearly to the point ofcombustion, vaporization does not take place wholly from the end of thewick. I have found that with this construction combustion is morecomplete and the supply of oil necessary to maintain a flame of givenbrilliancy is very much reduced. I/Vith my improved burner it isunnecessary to employ the cone usually used on kerosene-burners, and thewhole light of the flame is therefore exposed, a flame of such characterbeing more efficient than the ordinary flame when placed behind the lensof a signal-lantern and being also more suitable for use withreflectors.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view,partly in section, showing a lamp-burner constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of the burner-tube,showing the wick. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view showing the endsection of the burnertube detached from the base of the burner.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In the drawings, 10 is the font or reservoir, and 11 is the burner-basescrewed into the neck of said font and provided with the usualwick-raising spindle 12.

13 is the wick-tube permanently founded in or attached to the base 11and of flattened section to receive a flat or ribbon wick 14:, saidwick-tube forming the lower or posterior section of the wick-tube of theburner as constructed according to this invention.

The outer or end section 15 of the wick-tube is in the form of adetachable member whose posterior portion is formed with parallel sideand edge walls constructed to fit closely around the tube-section 13with a frictional hold. The edge Walls are bent inward at the upper endso that the end portion 16 of said member is tapered to a contractedorifice 17, which is much smaller than the bore of said member. The endportion 18 of the wick is likewise tapered, and its extreme end onlypartially fills the orifice 17 of the tube when the Wick is properly outaccording to the invention. The tube member 15 should have a more abrupttaper than the wick, as illustrated, so that there may always bevaporchambers between' the wick and tube. The vapor-chambers between thewick and the wick-tube are designated by the numeral 19.

A burner constructed as described gives the results and advantageshereinbefore indicated. The Wick-tube members or sections 15 may, ifdesired, be supplied for railway-signal or other lamps of ordinaryconstruction, the usual wick-tube 13 being cut down, if necessary, toproduce the flame at the proper height.

The provision of the vaporizingchamber or cavity between the wick andthe wick-tube is an important feature of the invention, since thereby acertain amount of vapor is always maintained in said chamber to hold orkeep the flame from being easily extinguished by the Wind or suddendrafts of air (as in the passing of trains) or jars.

Another feature of the invention upon which special stress may be laidis the tapering of the wick at its end, so that a larger supply of oilis provided than is actually needed for direct consumption in order thatthere may be a suflicient vaporization of oil in the vaporizing-chamberto give a strong and steady light.

It will be observed in connection with Figs. 2 and 3 that the wick-tubeend section 16 is vertically adjustable with relation to the memher orsection 13, the frictional engagement of the two being sufficient tohold the member 15 in the position in which it is placed. By this meansI am enabled to locate the flame with exactitude with relation to themagnifying-lens of a lamp.

I claim 1. In an oil-burner, a wick and a wick-tube so related as toform a vaporizing-cavity between them adjacent the end of the wick, saidcavity being closed to the admission of air below the upper extremity ofsaid wick-tube.

2. In an oil-burner, a wick-tube tapering to a contracted orifice, and awick therein having its end portion tapered with relation to its body,the end of said wick only partially filling said contracted orifice.

3. In an oil-burner, a wick-tube tapering to a contracted orifice, and awick therein having a tapered end portion, the taper of the tube beingmore abrupt than that of the wick. r 4. In an oil-burner, a burner-baseprovided with a permanently-founded wick-tube section, a wick and awick-tube end section detachably mounted on said permanently-f0undedsection and so related to said wick as to form a vaporizing-cavitybetween them adjacent the end of the wick, said cavity being closed tothe entrance of air below the upper end of said end section.

5. In an oil-burner, a burner-base provided with a permanently-f0undedwick-tube section, a tapered wick in the wick-tube, and a taperedwick-tube end section mounted detach ably on said permanently-f0undedsection to permit its removal for the purpose of cutting the wick totapered form, said end section fitting said wick-tube section closely toprevent the entrance of air between them.

6. A flat wick-tube end section for oil-lamps having its edge walls bentinward to form an orifice smaller than the bore of said tube.

7 A wick-tube end section or member flattened to conform to a flat wick,said member having an anterior portion tapering to a contract'ed orificeand a posterior portion with parallel side and edge walls adapting it tobe frictionally fitted to the permanently-founded wick-tube of aburner-base to prevent the entrance of air between them.

8. In an oil-burner, a burner-base provided with a wick-tube section, awick which substantially fills said section and having a tapering end,and a wick-tube end section closely fitting said first-mentioned sectionand tapered at its extremity to form a contracted orifice, said wick andwick-tube end section being related to provide a vaporizing-cavitybetween them closed to the entrance of air from below.

9. In an oil-burner. a substantially flat wicktube having a contractedorifice at its upper end, and a substantially flat wick reduced at itsupper end so as to partially fill said contracted orifice, the upperends of said wicktube and said wick being related. to form avaporizing-chamber between them which is closed to the entrance of airbelow the upper end of said wick-tube.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

LU'IE JOHNSON.

IVitnesses:

R. M. PIERSON, A. C. RATIGAN.

